Chelsea stay unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel with win at Sheffield United
Mason Mount (left) and Jorginho (right) scored for Chelsea. Picture: Oli Scarff/PA
JORGINHO’S second half penalty lifted Chelsea back into the thick of the chase for a top-four finish and continued the giant and rapid strides being taken under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
The dismissal of Frank Lampard late last month remains an act of unforgivable folly in the eyes of some supporters but, in the space of 11 days, his successor has now collected 10 points from four league games and returned his side to the thick of the conversation about Champions League places.
He even survived a comedy own goal from his defender Antonio Rudiger, just 70 seconds before Jorginho’s winner, as his team moved into fifth place in the Premier League table, just one point behind fallen champions Liverpool.
The win at Bramall Lane also marked the first time in his first four games in charge of Chelsea that his side has conceded. And what a goal to concede.
There appeared no danger as Oli Burke failed to control Oli McBurnie’s through pass and the ball landed at the feet of Rudiger. But with his keeper Edouard Mendy indecisive, and Burke pressing, the defender simply rolled the ball into his own net.
This was the first stiff test on Tuchel’s watch and the response was impressive as Timo Werner chased onto Kean Bryan’s underhit back-pass, rounded keeper Aaron Ramsdale and went tumbling under the keeper’s challenge.
It looked a clear-cut penalty although, to the visitors’ disbelief, referee Kevin Friend played on for some time before stopping the action, reviewing his monitor and awarding the spot-kick. Jorginho showed great composure to perform a stutter-step run-up and roll the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
Chelsea had woken themselves from an uninspiring first half two minutes before the interval by taking the lead through Mason Mount.
Ben Chilwell’s left-wing pass allowed Werner to sprint between two defenders and collect the ball before the German picked out a perfect pass, pulling the ball back for Mount who, 15 yards from goal, stroked an equally perfect finish into the bottom corner of the home goal.
But there were many moments of concern for Tuchel, and not all of them self-inflicted, like the Rudiger own goal.
After 11 minutes, Friend awarded the struggling hosts a spot kick after Chilwell brought down Chris Basham, only for VAR to show that the Sheffield man had been in an offside position.
And in a late Blades charge, Rhian Brewster saw a couple of efforts blocked and Mendy dived smartly to claw a Billy Sharp overhead free-kick away from the foot of his post.
Ramsdale 6; Basham 7, Egan 7, Bryan 5 (Sharp 68, 6); Bogle 5, Lundstram 5, Norwood 5 (Brewster 86), Fleck 6, Lowe 5; Burke 5 (McGoldrick 62, 6), McBurnie 6.
Mendy 7; Azpilicueta 7, Christensen 6, Rudiger 5; James 6, Jorginho 7, Kovacic 7, Chilwell 6 (Alonso 62, 6); Mount 8; Giroud 6 (Hudson-Odoi 62, 6), Werner 7 (Kante 75, 6).
K Friend 5
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